Marco Delogu's New Palio Jockey Portraits After 23 Years

After 23 years, photographer Marco Delogu returns to Siena with 16 new portraits for his ongoing series 'I trenta assassini,' capturing the new generation of Palio jockeys. The exhibition opens July 2, 2021, at the Entrone (Cortile Potestà) in Palazzo Comunale di Siena, the very space where jockeys prepare before the race. The date coincides with the traditional Carriera di Provenzano, canceled for the second year due to the pandemic. Delogu's project began in the 1990s and is considered one of the most intense photographic works on the Palio and its controversial jockeys, locally nicknamed 'assassins.' The new images feature 16 young jockeys, mostly Sardinians (12 out of 16), reflecting a generational shift. Delogu, now based in London, notes that in 1998 he began following the Palio, and over time the earlier subjects stopped racing. The exhibition includes 50 portraits total, spanning from Tripolino (debut in 1930) to Scangeo (2019). The series is produced by the Assessorato alla Cultura of the Comune di Siena.